You’re Not on the Map
Photo credit: A. J. Medley
“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.”
– Psalm 32:8, NKJV
After our trip to Spain, my roommate and I moved on to Rome. Upon our arrival, we received one of those standard tourist maps that highlight popular sites, including the Colosseum, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon . . . you get the picture.
One evening we took a walk after dinner to get a better view of the city at night. As tiredness from the day’s activities crept in, we decided to trek back to our hotel, but we got turned around. We pulled out the map (this was pre-smartphone days, mind you) to help guide us. We still ended up walking in circles, not getting any closer to our desired destination. A passerby heard our frustrations, saw what we were using as our guide, then flatly said, “You’re not on the map.” My friend and I burst out laughing at his deadpan response and our futile struggle of trying to follow the map.
Sometimes in life it feels as if we’re wandering in circles, without a sense of direction toward our future. Fortunately, we have a Father in heaven who promises to “instruct us in the way [we] should go”! I know from past experience that waiting for His instruction requires patience and keeping an open mind. He may reveal His plan little by little, like bread crumbs, which may seem as if we’re only inching forward without significant gains. Or, He could orchestrate His plan in an entirely different way from what we have conceived. Whatever the situation, we can take comfort in knowing that as long as our hearts are open to His leading, He will get us to our destination.
